When It Comes To Exercising for Longevity, Anything Is Better Than Nothing

While it’s established that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated with healthy aging, researchers have found that even light-intensity movement offers meaningful benefits

Just two hours of light-intensity physical activity per day can increase the chances of healthy aging by 6%, according to a new paper published by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

You may have heard that sitting is the new smoking, but the findings — which used data from an extensive Nurses’ Health Study spanning 20 years — could have longevity-invested individuals trading Netflix for a stroll in the neighborhood.

While it’s established that proper sleep and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with healthy aging, researchers sought to discover the associations of sedentary behaviors and light-intensity physical activity (LPA) with optimal aging. The study comprised over 45,000 female participants, all of whom were 50 years or older and free of major chronic disease in 1992. Data was then analyzed over a five-month period in 2022.

Participants’ habits were assessed during the course of the study, including the amount of time spent watching television, sitting at work and at home, and LPA, such as the time spent standing or walking around at home and at work, to determine the impact it had on healthy aging.

For the study, researchers defined healthy aging as surviving to at least 70 years without significant chronic diseases or impairment in memory, physical function or mental health — a milestone that the study’s authors state only 10% to 35% of older adults achieve.

More Movement, Less TV Time

By the numbers, the paper details that each increment of two hours per day of sitting and watching TV was associated with a 12% decrease in the likelihood of healthy aging, whereas each additional two hours of LPA per day correlated with a 6% increase in healthy aging.

Interestingly, the authors discovered that among those who slept seven hours or less each day, substituting TV time with sleep also increased the likelihood of healthy aging. Ultimately, only 8.6% of women achieved healthy aging at the conclusion of the study, and while researchers determined that increased television watching reduced the odds of healthy aging, they suggest that swapping just one hour of tube time with either LPA or MVPA raises the odds of healthy aging.

“These findings complement previous evidence on the association between these behaviors and mortality, and provide important evidence for promoting active lifestyles for achieving optimal health at older ages,” wrote the study’s authors.

Being advised to move more and sit less may not sound necessarily groundbreaking, but as the paper’s authors note, population aging is an important public health issue, considering 8.5% of the total population worldwide is 65 years and older — a number expected to increase to 20% by 2050. Aging, they point out, tends to be accompanied by a host of adverse health conditions, but identifying “modifiable factors” can inform helpful interventions as individuals age.

Fitness Brands Target ‘Active Aging’ Community

While fitness and health brands are after the coveted Gen Z consumers, aware that they are intrigued by the longevity and wellness space, some in the industry are targeting mature consumers with programming designed just for them.

Considering research has shown that just one year of heavy weightlifting can yield maintained strength four years later, staying active can be the ultimate low-hanging fruit when it comes to longevity practices.

Tonal, the smart home gym, has emphasized serving the ‘active aging’ demographic with safe and effective strength training programs, applauding their 55-plus users for being one of their more consistent groups when it comes to strength training week-to-week than other age groups.

Luxury fitness and lifestyle operator Life Time launched Arora in 2022, a program designed specifically for “ baby boomers and beyond ” and encompasses low-impact and exclusive programming across aqua, cardio, and strength modalities, along with pickleball, tennis, educational workshops and socialization opportunities.

Digital platforms have also gained ground in the active aging space, with Mighty Health, an all-in-one exercise, nutrition, and daily health program serving those aged 50 and over. The platform raised $7.6 million last year and offers personalized coaching and lessons.

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